Senior Ryan Mitchell prepares to deliver a shot. Sarah Neltner’20/Media staff

The 2018 regular season was full of ups and downs for the CA baseball team, but the #12 seed Vikings seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect time. 

The boys kicked off their postseason campaign by hosting #15 seed Utica on Tuesday, May 8. Senior Matt Saling took the hill for the Vikes and held the Redskins’ offense in check. He allowed just three runs in five innings, as CA built a 5-3 lead. But Utica refused to go down quietly. The Redskins tallied four runs in the sixth to take the upper hand. 

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and the Vikings’ season in jeopardy, junior Evan Scott answered the call. He ripped a two-run single to knot the score, sending the game to extra innings. 

Academy wasted no time in capitalizing on its new life. In the bottom of the eighth, junior Hayden Compton laced a single into the outfield grass to secure an 8-7 win. 

The Vikes then hit the road to clash with #5 seed Fairbanks on Thursday, May 10. The Panthers had eliminated CA from the postseason in consecutive years, but this meeting was different. Compton delivered the goods on the mound, tossing a complete game shutout with ten strikeouts. The Vikings’ offense was outstanding as well, and Academy blasted its heavily-favored enemy, 11-0.

The boys will face #9 seed Johnstown-Monroe at Heath on Monday, May 14, with a trip to the district finals on the line.